Earthdawn.... d6 style

I've been in an "old-school" D&D sort of mood lately.  You know the type - that sort of BECMI goodness most of us remember from the glory days of middle school.  Where one guy was the elf, and another was a surly dwarf, and three different people were playing the fighter or the wizard.  And you had a halfling... who, while he may have sucked in comparison to everyone else, was still super fun to play. 

Where an orc could have one hit point, or seven hit points, and that difference was a big thing.  Where the life and death of your character was a random, chaotic event, but one that was always fun.  And where, in there hours' worth of playing time, you got in a dozen fights, explored many rooms of the dungeon, and got into at least one inter-party melee.

I've also been into the D6 system lately - especially d6 fantasy.  It's a great book, but it's a little sparse on the races - the "core book" only gives four non-human races for player use... an Elf, a Dwarf, a Gnome, and a Reptile Man.

Originally, my plan was to stat up some random PC races off the top of my head (a vampire-kin, a fairie, and so on), but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I'm in a conversion mode right now.  So, I've opted to convert at least some of the races from Earthdawn (an excellent game system in its own right) into the d6 System. 

(note:  I'm only giving class packages here, and not the "typical" race packages - too much time to do, and too little payout). 

Windling
Tiny elfin creatures with wings and a fearless nature, Windlings are natural explorers that always want to find what lay beyond the next hill. 
   Total Creation Point Cost: 4
   Total Defined Limit Cost: 1 attribute die, or 4 skill dice. 
   Special Abilities:  Tiny:  Windlings are small creatures, much smaller than humans, and have a scale modifier of 6;  Flight:  Windlings can fly, with a base move of 12 (the flying skill is required to maneuver); Lucky:  Windlings naturally seem to have a natural luck.  They have the good luck special ability (page 35);  Acrobatic:  Windlings are natural acrobats, and gain a +1 bonus to the skill total with the following skills:  acrobatics, dodge, and contortion. 
   Disadvantages:  Slow:  Windlings have a base land speed of 4; Quirk - Curious (R1):  Windlings are very curious by nature, and always want to explore the world around them, which can get them into trouble; Flight Drawbacks:  A windling cannot fly while wearing armour of any sort; Body Shape:  windlings have a special body size, and so have to have gear custom made for them.  Any armour, weapon, or shield the windling wishes to purchase will cost an additional 25%.  Size Restriction:  Windlings are small beings, and are unable to put the force behind many of their attacks.  Their strength damage is always 1D, regardless of their physique scores.  This can be modified as normal through weapon choice.   

Obsidiman
A man made of stone, obsidimen are peaceful giants that emerge from their liferocks to ponder the world around them. 
   Total Creation Point Cost: 4 points
   Total Defined Limit Cost:  1 attribute die or 4 skill dice
   Special Abilities:  Size:  Obsidimen are much larger than a human.  They have a scale modifier of +3; Natural Armour:  Obsidimen have naturally hardened skin, and gain a +1D bonus to their Damage Resistance roll against the attacks of non-enchanted weapons; Strong:  Obsidimen gain a +2 bonus on all rolled totals related to physique checks, and +2 Damage Resistance and Strength damage.
   Disadvantages:   Slow:  An obsidiman's base speed is 8 metres;  Naivete:  Obsidimen tend to be a bit gullible around other name-giver races, and suffer a +1 modifier to the difficulty of the following skills:  Bluff, Persuasion;  Cultural Unfamiliarity (R1):  Obsidimen always seem to be "on the outside, looking" in.  They are often confused by cultural practices, and occasionally suffer from prejudice or misunderstandings on obsidiman nature; Body Shape:  Obsidimen have an unusually-large body shape, and must have their gear specially-made for them.  They must pay an additional 25% when purchasing clothes, armour, and weapons;

Troll

Large, tusked warriors from mountainous and hilly lands, Trolls are tribal barbarians with a reputation for savagery.  However, they have a sense of honour about them, and many of the tales attributed to them are unfair.  Trolls are brave warriors who value strength of arms -and character- above all else.
   Total Creation Point Cost:  3
   Total Defined Limit Cost:  3 skill dice
   Special Abilities:  Ultravision:  see in the dark (heat sight), +2 to sight-based totals in dim or dark light;  Size:  +3 scale modifier (taller than a human); Increased Attribute (Physique): +2 bonus on all rolled totals related to physique checks, and +2 Damage Resistance and Strength damage. 
   Disadvantages:  Prejudice (R1):  Trolls are feared and mistrusted by many.  The troll suffers a +3 penalty to the difficulties of most interaction checks;  Hindrance - Large Size (R2): Trolls sometimes suffer from their large size, with large fingers and large frames not built for human lives.  They suffer a +1 modifier to the difficulty of each of the following skills:  Acrobatics, contortion, stealth, sleight of hand, traps, devices. 

The Perfect Dungeon

Last week, I was running a game of Fourth Edition D&D.  It was a pretty basic adventure, really, a sort of filler piece that I had concocted to get the PCs at the next level and to get them back into the plot of the game before they made their way into the Feywild. 

To do it, I took my copy of Dungeon Delve, and threw out the map.  I then connected those combat encounters with new passageways, with the rule that "each passageway has to be an interesting encounter or role-playing event".  Whether this was an interaction with an NPC, an "exploration" encounter, a skill check, or just some random piece of dungeon dressing that the PCs could ponder and interact with, I wanted there to be something to connect those combats.

The more I play 4e, the more I realize this is necessary.  4E is not really one of those games that limits roleplaying (not as much as some detractors will declare on message boards, at least), but I find one of the things that can get in the way is the sheer length of combats.  What this means is, in a four hour session with three combats, you can easily expect three of those hours to consist of fighting.

The dungeon I ran was fun, but here was the thing that really caught my eye - the most enjoyable part of the adventure was not the combat challenges.  It was not the weird puzzle-like door I put in (though that was fun).  It was not the exploration of rooms, or the sneaking up on guards.  All of those were fun (and, really, more fun than anything that came in the original delve book - that's not slamming the book, either).  No, the most fun part of the session that night was when I put a treasure chest in an empty room.

The PCs knew the treasure belonged to the buried dead.  They knew these people had lived good lives.  So, there was a moral quandary, and half the group felt looting the dead was a bad idea... the other half thought it'd be fine.  There was the possibility that the chest was trapped (it was, and the rogues loved this).  And, when the bodies were inevitably looted, there was the fact that the two rogues stole some minor trinkets off the bodies without the rest of the party knowing (out of character, everyone was having fun, too).  I was told later that it was a "classic D&D experience", and the second I heard it, I knew it was true.

This all got me thinking about the perfect dungeon for 4e.  The sort of adventure that really involves the party.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that combat should play a very small part in that. I started thinking about the fairly well-known five room dungeon model, a model I've used in many, many dungeon adventures over the years.  Using that as a base, I've put together the following - some advice on how to run the perfect dungeon.  Or, more accurately, a template of encounters your short dungeon should possess. 

A few tips before we get started, though.  In brief, your dungeon should be:

• Small.  It can be as large physically as you like (hell, it could even be a whole plane), but it should be small enough in encounter terms that your party can explore the whole thing without having to take an extended rest.  I see this as being about three average-strength combats, and one hard combat.  Or, better yet, two average combats, one hard combats, and a few easy combats. 
• Dynamic.  In other words, not a railroad.  Encounter A should not lead only to Encounter B.  There should be multiple pathways for PCs to choose from - and hints available to foreshadow what's ahead.  If the PCs see a trail of rest in the passageway heading north, and that the stones in the western passageway are polished smoothly, then at least they could have a chance of learning beforehand that there is a rust monster to the north, and an ooze of some sort to the west.  By the way, if you haven't read it yet, check out this thread.  It's all about dungeon layout, and it is amazing advice that changed how I game. 
• Thematic.  If it's a dwarven stronghold, stick to that theme - don't put a cave in there, even if it'd be cool.  If it's an orc dungeon, there probably shouldn't be an ooze in there.  Kobold sewer lairs should have tight tunnels, traps, and lots of weak monsters.  This is an important one, and an easy one.  Whenever I design a dungeon, I write down the dungeon's theme in big letters on the top of my map.  And I write down a list of things that relate to this theme - descriptive text, room ideas, monsters that tie in, everything.  If something doesn't make sense for the theme, it doesn't get in.  It can be rough, but it's worth it - players tend to notice when things don't "fit", and it takes them out of the mood. 

So, we've got that out of the way.  Now, it's template time. 

1.  The Entrance

Your entrance to the dungeon has to be exciting.  It can't just be a hole in a wall.  The entrance is the PCs first impression of your dungeon, so it has to be impressive.  A lot of adventures will do this with a combat... I'm not sure that's the way to go.  Because combats tend to devolve into mechanics pretty quickly, and when you introduce your dungeon, you mostly want to be setting up the theme of things.  So, take a few objects that relate to your dungeon's theme, and introduce them here. 

Avoid it just being description, too.  Whether PCs move through a sewer grate or a yawning fire chasm means very little to them if it's just "we step through it into the dungeon".  PCs have to interact with your entrance in some way.  And that interaction should relate back to the dungeon's theme. 

Losing you?  Don't worry, it's easy.

Let's say my example dungeon is a sewer complex, turned into a hiding place for rogues.  These rogues are lead by a power-hungry wizard.  They're not stupid rogues, and they've managed to divert some of the tunnels of waste so that at least a few tunnels (as well as the maintenance hallways) are somewhat livable.  That's my basic dungeon theme.

The PCs get to the dungeon by following various sewer passages.  What's the main entrance?  Well, the villains here are rogues and a wizard - which means the main entrance should be a trap, and probably an arcane one.  We'll set this up as two tunnels, one a bear skin stretched over a hole in the wall, the other filled with muck and slime.  There is a body by the bear skin, or maybe just a skeleton.  PCs might think the bear skin is trapped, and so take the slimy way in - when in reality, the trap is in the water, and the bear skin is actually the safe entrance.  The trap itself is just a clamp trap - and when it slams shut, some magical aquatic creatures are summoned in the water to chew on the poor sod caught in the jaws.

2.  Hallways

In this context, "hallways" are any means of connecting one encounter to another.  They often explain why monsters in room 2 don't come running when room 1 is attacked.  DMs often make the mistake of leaving hallways at that, rarely putting encounters there. 

In your perfect dungeon, every hallway should have something unique about it.  Make there be a point where your players have to ask a question.  Remember, if a Player is asking a question, he's involved in the game.  The more questions he's asking, the more interested he is. 

Also, try to use your characters' skills, if at all possible.  If you can get Players to utilize their non-combat abilities, they'll love you for it.  Don't cater the adventure to their abilities, though - they'll pick up on it if, everytime they come across something requiring a skill or a language, one of them have it.  Sometimes, just leave the PCs in the dark (it's too bad none of them speak Abyssal!)

With that in mind, think of objects that mesh with your theme that will prompt PC interaction.  This doesn't have to be a trap, or a wandering guard (although those certainly work).  It could be something as simple as a strange breeze whistling down the hallway, or a hint about the room ahead. 

In our example dungeon, the first hallway should show signs of rogue passage.  Maybe a set of hooks on the wall, with the rogues' cloaks hanging.  This could give PCs an idea of how many rogues are in the dungeon.  Later hallways will include a little-used hallway that is trapped, a hallway that is still a sewer drainage canal (with wooden planks over the canals for the inhabitants to use), and a hallway that is beginning to crumble from improper rain drainage.  Throughout the hallways, there will be a lot of graffitti written in chalk and pain - there are a few artists among the rogues, it seems.  Much of this graffitti will be slang or improper jokes, but some will also be in various languages.  Each hallway will give curious PCs something to read - if you want, you can even foreshadow future events with hallway graffitti.

Okay.  That's it for now.  Next time we'll cover the combat encounters of the perfect dungeon, and how each encounter should progress the storyline.  Take care, and keep gaming. 

Some d6 Monsters

So, I've always been in love with the d6 system, ever since I purchased the original Star Wars roleplaying game at a yard sale in the early 90s.   I had bought the original game, and the sourcebook, for around five dollars as a father's day present for my dad, who took one look at them, said "aw, thanks", and put them on his bookshelf and never gave them a second glance.

See, my dad was a gamer, but was strictly D&D.  And, later, RIFTS.  My dad and I have different RPG interests.  But that's a whole other story.

Years later, I found these Star Wars books, read them a bunch of times, and fell in love with the game.  Played the game for a few weeks, before realizing I had never seen a Star Wars movie.  After this, I rented the movies, watched them, and said "Wow.  These movies suck."

Yeah.  I've never been a Star Wars fan.  You may revoke my Geekery license, if you must.

But I've always loved the game.  It's fast, it's flexible, and it's one that the players can learn in about ten minutes.  I've never played a game besides the d6 system where the Players learned the rules so damned quickly - and it's one of the few games I've played where every player at the table even picks up the rules.  I have many memories of playing games like Shadowrun or D&D (both 2nd edition) where half the table didn't even know the rules of the game they were playing... they'd just say "can I do this?" and I'd tell them what die to roll.

A few years ago, the d6 system that the Star Wars roleplaying game was based off was re-released.  There were a few books - d6 Space, d6 Fantasy, and d6 Adventure, each supposedly detailing a different genre of game. 

I picked up d6 Space right away, figuring it'd be Star Wars with all the copyright information filed off.  It wasn't - it was a much more confusing game, with a lot of options thrown in and the easy-to-learn game rules made significantly more complex.  The game was poorly written, poorly presented, and seemed jumbled and incomplete.  Nonetheless, I deciphered it, realized the character creation system was actually better than original Star Wars (once you got the hang of it), and started playing. 

It was an instant hit, and my players instantly jumped into it, playing bizarre characters to the hilt.  The game fell apart, though... mostly due to poor planning on my part.  I never really expected the game to take off, so I had designed myself into a corner. 

Yesterday, I found d6 Fantasy in a used book store.  I bought it in about three seconds flat.  I took it home, read it, and found it was much more understandable than d6 Space.  But, it's a toolbox game - it gives you the basics, and expects you to flesh things out from there.  The game is lacking monsters, in short.

So, here are two monsters for those that want to give this gem of a game a try.  One is a conversion of an existing D&D monster... the other is one I put together with a little help from mythology.  Enjoy!

Black Dog

Agility: 3D (Bite 4D+2; Dodge 4D; Stealth 6D)
Coordination: 3D
Physique: 3D (Running 5D; Stamina 6D)
Intellect: 1D
Acumen: 2D
Charisma: 1D  (Mettle 2D+1)

Move: 15 Physique Damage: 2D Body Points: 12 Resist Damage: 4D (Spectral, see below)

Special Abilities

•  Spectral:  Black Dogs are not fully corporeal creatures.  They can move through solid objects at will, and are never slowed by terrain.  However, they cannot cross running water.  Black Dogs are highly resistant to normal weapons - any weapon or attack that is not enchanted or blessed by a priest is subject to the Black Dog's damage resistance.  Blessed or enchanted weapons (or magical attacks) ignore this penalty.
• Bite:  Black Dogs can make a bite attack.  This deals damage equal to 2D+their physique damage (4D in total).
• Prowl:  A black dog that strikes an unaware opponent deals an additional +2D damage.
• Confusion:  Black dogs get easily confused at a crossroads.  When coming across a crossroads, they must make a mettle check (target number 12);  failure means they must spend an action pondering the nature of the crossroads.  They must make this check each round they are within 20 feet of a crossroads. 

Description: Black Dogs are ghostly hounds that haunt the site of executions and hunt lone travellers at night.  They are malevolent killers that hunt alone, which gives their prey a chance for escape.  It is said that Black Dogs only hunt those who have broken the laws of the land.  It's well known that when a Black Dog makes its kill, a lightning storm is sure to follow.  Such storms are often referred to as "kill-signs" by superstitious townsfolk. 

Black Dogs have shadowy black forms, and attack from regions of darkness.  They have bright red eyes and teeth that reflect the moonlight.  They are completely silent, though victims occasionally hear a faint hum of electricity when near a stalking dog. 


Hyena Demon

Agility: 2D+1 (Fighting/Bite 3D+1; Dodge 3D; Melee Combat 3D+2; Stealth 3D)
Coordination: 3D (Throwing 3D+2; Spit Acid 4D+1)
Physique: 3D+1 (Lifting 4D+1; Running 4D+2; Stamina 5D)
Intellect:  1D+2
Acumen:  2D (Survival 3D)
Charisma:  1D+1 (Intimidate 3D+1)

Move:  10   Physique Damage:  2D   Body Points:  13   Resist Damage:  3D (Shield, Fur)
Typical Gear:  3 Throwing Boomerangs (Damage 3D+1, range 5/40/100), Small Shield (+2D Armour Value), Spear (Damage 4D), Scavenged equipment

Special Abilities

• Thick Fur:  The Hyena Demon's hide is extremely thick and mangy, and acts as primitive armour.  It grants a +1D bonus to all damage resistance totals.
• Bite:  Hyena Beasts drool a highly corrosive saliva that acts as an acid.  Hyena Beasts are immune to this acid.  A Hyena Beast can make a bite attack as an action once per round.  If it hits, the attack deals the beast's Physique Damage +1D (3D total). 
• Spit Acid:  Once per hour, a Hyena Beast can spit acid at a close range.  The attack has the range of a dagger attack, and deals 4D acid damage on a hit.  On subsequent rounds, the attack deals 3D acid damage, unless the victim spends an action to brush off the poison. 

Description:  Hyena Demons are bipedal fiends that are a mix of both a hyena and a human form;  some cultures insist that these foul beasts are created when desert scavengers feast upon the dying form of an exiled criminal.  Hyena Demons stand nearly six feet tall (when they aren't slouched over), and have a head similar to that of a hyena, with acidic spittle dribbling down the snout.  The beasts are covered in mottled brown and black fur, and have short tails similar to a hyena.  Hyena Demons have human-like hands, and are capable of using tools - in fact, they are often outfitted with scavenged gear taken from the victims of raids. 

Hyena Demons are scavengers and raiders, being unable to produce anything on their own.  It is believed that they lack any form of soul, and therefore lack the ability to truly create, instead stealing and corrupting the noble works of man.  Hyena Demons enjoy causing pain and suffering among all creatures, and it is for this reason that packs of Hyena Demons remain small - large forces eventually collapse in an orgy of violence.

Hyena Demons speak their own language, a guttural tongue consisting of dog-like yips, frequent snarls, and high-pitched whines, all conjoined by an incessant, nerve-wracking laughter.

First Post

This is my second blog.

A few blog advice columns mention dividing your interests into multiple blogs, so that people that share only one of your interests (in this case, gaming) don't have to endure you rattling off about things that don't interest them.  I think it's a good piece of advice.

Plus this way, I don't have to mention D&D at all in my main blog.  Which is probably a good thing.

So.  What is this blog?

Well, it's a gaming blog, obviously.  It's going to be something written in my own "voice" (as in, one that is snarky, sarcastic, with a touch of potty-mouth and elitism thrown in!).  It's not going to be edition-specific.  It's going to be updated twice a week (I'm leaning towards mondays and thursdays... this post doesn't count).  It's going to be aimed primarily at GM materials - there's too much "splat" material out there for players already, and it's a bitch to implement into a game.  And it's going to be awesome.

Hope y'all enjoy!